World Twenty20: Team-by-team guide

The fourth edition of the tournament kicks off in Sri Lanka on Tuesday, when the host country take on Zimbabwe. Twelve nations will contest the three-week competition

A Sri Lankan drives past a banner promoting the Twenty20 Cricket World Cup in Colombo. The opening fixture takes place in the southern port town of Hambantota on Tuesday. Photograph: Lakruwan Wanniarachchi/AFP/Getty Images

Prospects: Their presence still seems novel but this is their second appearance, and after being crushed by India then roughed up by Morne Morkel in the Caribbean in 2010, they may feel that facing England in subcontinental conditions offers them a best opportunity yet of a shock.

Player to watch: Hamid Hassan, the distinctly slippery quick bowler. Such a shame no English county has given him a crack.

Prospects: Holders and favourites, according to their position at the top of the ICC's world T20 rankings, but it doesn't quite feel that way, given general unease in subcontinental conditions, and the absence of the man of the 2010 tournament.

Player to watch: Eoin Morgan becomes the key batsman in the absence of Kevin Pietersen, and the scalp that opponents will most prize.

Prospects: The winners of the first World T20 in South Africa in 2007 have not even made the semi-finals in two tournaments since, and certainly have the potential to do better than that. Might still be questions over their athleticism in the field.

Player to watch: Yuvraj Singh's presence is a terrific story, after he underwent chemotherapy this year for a rare form of cancer, and he might bring Stuart Broad out in a cold sweat after that famous over in 2007 which cost the new England captain 36.

Prospects: Sadly, the line about them going into the tournament below Ireland in the official world T20 rankings no longer holds true. They have sneaked above the Irish to ninth, and are breathing down the necks of Bangladesh. But they will field brilliantly, and the rest of the tournament will be wary of the Aussie underdogs.

Player to watch: Dan Christian. Probably still Dan Who? to a fair proportion of cricket followers, but he is an explosive all-rounder who is proud of his Aboriginal roots .

Prospects: A truly formidable batting line-up on paper, headed by Chris Gayle, with Kieron Pollard, Dwayne Smith and Andre Russell for big-hitting support. But as England showed in defeating them at Trent Bridge this summer, that does not necessarily make them unbeatable.

Player to watch: Sunil Narine's much-hyped mystery spin was a bit of a flop when he finally arrived in England, having sparkled in the IPL, but he should be much happier in Colombo.

Prospects: There won't be any of the usual chortling about South African choking in England going into this tournament, after Graeme Smith's team knocked them off the top of the world Test rankings. The T20 squad have a different captain, AB de Villiers, but on the evidence of their limited-overs performances in recent weeks they will be equally meticulously prepared.

Player to watch: Jacques Kallis has played in five World Cups since 1996, and the last two World Twenty20s, without any joy. Now 36, could this be his time?

Prospects: Home advantage would seem to offer a huge opportunity to add a first World T20 title to the World Cup they won in 1996. But it could also add to the pressure on a team who have lost six of nine previous home T20 internationals

Player to watch: Lasith Malinga has been the most spectacular sight in world cricket for years now, and T20 is his game having enjoyed huge success in the IPL and Champions League.

Prospects: Some encouraging recent signs of improvement are likely to count for little given the toughest possible draw, although they did beat a South Africa team captained by Hashim Amla twice in three meetings in Harare in June. Coached by Alan Butcher, the former Surrey and England batsman.

Player to watch: Brendan Taylor, the 26-year-old captain who will also keep wicket inspired their shock win against Australia in the first world T20 in 2007.

Prospects: Have found more success in 50-over cricket than the shortest form, failing to qualify from their group in the last two world T20 tournaments. Have the ability to improve on that, but recent defeats by Scotland and the Netherlands suggest they probably will not.

Player to watch: Tamim Iqbal could make the same sort of impact in this tournament as a swashbuckling opener as Sanath Jayasuriya did for Sri Lanka back in that 1996 World Cup. But he remains frustratingly hit and miss.

Prospects: The draw has been kind to a Black Caps team under new management in Mike Hesson, a little-known Otago stalwart who was appointed to succeed John Wright this year. The sort of efficiency with the odd surprise that they usually produce at world tournaments should be enough for them to make the super eights, possibly as group winners. Anything after that would be a bonus.

Player to watch: Brendon McCullum, who will always have a special place in T20 history after scoring 158 off 73 balls in the first ever IPL fixture. Some would say he played a key role in creating a monster.

Prospects: Making any predictions for them has always been a preposterous exercise. Many have them down as dark horses for this tournament, which they won so memorably in England in 2009, pointing to their bowling attack of varied brilliance led by Saeed Ajmal. But the fact that Kamran Akmal is wicketkeeping reinforces the proviso that things could go either way.

Player to watch: Shahid Afridi is back again, now 32, and epitomising the unpredictable nature of the Pakistan team. Will test the captaincy skills of Mohammad Hafeez, the opener and off-spinner known as "the Professor".